Fed Officials Seen as Likely to Push Back Against Half-Point Cut

  • Central bankers probably wouldn’t want to give sense of panic
  • A weak jobs report seals the deal only for a smaller rate cut
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

A weak July jobs report has fueled fears the Federal Reserve has already waited too long to lower interest rates, but policymakers are unlikely to respond with a jumbo-sized cut in September that might signal alarm.

US hiring slowed markedly in July and the unemployment rate rose to the highest level in nearly three years, a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Friday.